The present application is directed to overvoltage protection, and in particular to a system and method for reducing voltage spikes.
In electrical power systems, and particularly in aircraft power system where the power frequency is high, switching from a high load condition to a no load condition, as can occur when a load is removed, or from a short circuit load condition to a no load condition, as can occur when a short circuit condition is removed, leads to a voltage spike that can exceed a rated voltage range of the power system. Such a voltage spike is referred to as an overvoltage. Energy resulting from the voltage spike must be dissipated somewhere in the power system during a transient period until the power system can be brought back to normal operating conditions (i.e., the power system voltage returns to within the normal rated voltage range). If the energy is dissipated in currently existing components, the resultant heat and other stresses can damage power system components connected to the electrical system.